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Docs who don't give a darn

Hi. I am new to this site and need to vent. Has anyone experienced physicians who JUST DON'T CARE? My brother was injured in Feb 2016. He has been in a SNF for about 4 months... the rest of the time he has been in the hospital or an LTAC. I am going to bring him home to care for him after released from this current hospitalization. It seems to me they are forcing hospice, which he does not want and as his POA, I will fight until the end. The docs, ombudsman, SW are all telling lies... for instance the ombudsman went to visit and she said she was speaking with him. When my sister asked how she understood him... did they put the passie muir valve in, her reply was .... No. He put his hand up to cover the trach so he could talk.......LIE........he moves arms VERY LITTLE and he is sooooo contracted there is no way possible unless her turned to Houdini in the last few days. His attending at this hospitalization said the infectious disease doctor stopped all antibiotics.. and I was FURIOUS.. I asked him to start them. He told me he cannot go above the ID doc. Being a nurse, that is a lie. He is either afraid to do so or he lacks confidence and is afraid of prescribing meds on his own. He told me they were all contaminants. Have you heard of cultures being contaminated in the urine, in the sputum, in the blood, and in the wound SIMULTANEOUSLY??? I told him the hospital had better check their protocol for obtaining cultures if they are all contaminated. And the wounds... well that is another story. Ok, so 16 months post injury... SEVERELY contracted. No one placed his splints anywhere anytime except when I went. When questioned doc about Baclofen pump... no concrete answer or advice. Once I did research on it myself and found a pain management physician at UPMC in Pittsburgh, who was great, went for consult. Well, it was too late to place a baclofen pump b/c now he has pressure ulcers and would not be able to find any surgeon willing to place that d/t infection risk.. understandable. But why in the world would a practitioner not take it upon themselves to suggest something??? They don't care... The PM doc did do phenol injections and botox in lower extremities/pelvic area and wow...... what an improvement. He went from 155 degree contractures with his knees being in his face to about 45 degrees. Now I have to wait until the end of July to take him back in to do the upper extremities. His arms are so contracted you cannot even get a BP cuff on them without him being in severe pain.

the wounds... right hip, left hip, coccyx..... left hip was to the bone... right hip is now 19 x 12 cm.....Really? No wound VAC offered during early stages... no FLAP surgery offered... no NOTHING. Being a nurse, I know a lot in the medical field but not having been familiar with SCIs, it amazes me how much I don't know.

sepsis - He was brought to the ER on Wednesday with seizures and totally out of it. SOOO sick. SOOO sickening and heartbreaking to see him like that. Had infections in the past that were not treated completely every time... and like I said, this time they did not want to treat it at all UNTIL I threatened them with a lawsuit should it lead to his demise and then requested a transfer to the Cleveland Clinic. What do they do before even calling the clinic... you got it... started antibiotics.

This all transpired since Wednesday. The rest of the time, from Feb 2016 until now??? I could write a book. Our healthcare is the most expensive it has ever been and the worst care that has ever been. What a shame.

I'm jumping all around in this message, venting.. the first thing that comes to my mind because I am so angry with his medical providers... as I sit and patiently wait for 2 am to head to the Cleveland Clinic so that I can say I did all I could for him with the best docs I could find and people that won't lie to me. PHEWWW that felt good. Thanks, and if anyone can share any stories so that I know no all physicians are the same, please do. BTW, I'm halfway between the pittsburgh steelers and the cleveland browns.... in the armpit of it all.

Not sure that anyone can help you with these issues, but at least you can vent here.

SW = Social Woker.

To advocate4bob- your brother is very fortunate to have you looking after his needs.
Do you have the equipment needed to take care of him at home? ( pressure relief mattress, adjustable bed, a patient lift, etc? )

Greetings. I'm so very sick of doctors myself. Unsympathetic. Unempathetic.. They all seem to have "operational amnesia" as hawkeye Pierce in MASH one said. It is very rare that I find a doctor that I'd like. Very very rare. They are almost as elusive as pink elephants LOL

Advocate4bob, what a terrible story of professional apathy. They seem to be just trying to "wait you out" until he's gone. And they have probably done this before to others...successfully, and with no repercussions on them as professionals. So sorry.